


Coach

by YulianaHenderson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 15:08:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17286359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YulianaHenderson/pseuds/YulianaHenderson
Summary: "Phil Coulson hated public transport. Any kind of it. Bus, train, even boats, and especially planes. Don't even start about planes."





	Coach

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short piece that shot into my head the other day and I couldn't leave it alone anymore. Basically just Philinda bantering like the old married couple they are and Daisy being entertained by them.

Phil Coulson hated public transport. Any kind of it. Bus, train, even boats, and especially planes. Don't even start about planes. He found that a lifetime spent flying in Quinjets with only his closest coworkers had made him, well, spoiled. He'd had his own plane, for God's sake - well, sort of. He didn't like traveling Economy class, he didn't like all the talking and screaming and the clapping when the plane landed. (It was supposed to land! Don't clap!) 

But then again, Melinda May had definitely changed his opinion about flying. She could land the Zephyr and you wouldn't even notice the touchdown. She had made flying a breeze and now he was accustomed to her flying.

It wasn't all that bad though, as one pleasant surprise had shown him in the past three years. Even though the airline had split them up, he still got to sit beside her, and he felt butterflies dance in his stomach as he watched her settle into his side. Her pigtails tickled his bare upper arms and she was drooling slightly, but it didn't make it any less special.

“Excuse me,” the woman beside him started. It was an older woman, yet still probably only ten years older than him. (He was getting old.) Her gray hair lay in the shape of a donut on her head, not a single strand stubborn and sticking out. If only the girl on his other side had such hair. “Might I say, what a beautiful little girl you got there.”

He smiled, unable to fight it. She was gorgeous, so much like her mother, this adorable little Asian girl had him wrapped around her tiny finger.

“Thank you. She looks like her mother.”

The woman nodded and smiled as well, and they sat like that for a while. He got the feeling she might be trying to flirt with him, but he was under the impression that it was obvious he was taken. Perhaps she hadn't seen the wedding ring. He brushed a hand through his hair, showing off the metal, but it seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect. 

“You must be so proud to be her granddad.”

Before he had time to respond to her ludicrous statement, they were interrupted by someone placing something in his arms.

“I forgot Momo in my bag.” Melinda smiled at him, and at the little girl beside him, and anyone watching her might think that she had experience with this, that her life was filled with beautiful smiles such as this one - only he knew of the things that hid in her past. Only he knew how difficult it could be for her to smile.

“You must be the mother,” the woman said, smiling at her. Melinda’s smile dropped, just because the lady was a stranger to her and she wasn't as open with them as she was with him. But when the woman complimented her on her daughter, she nevertheless showed her smile.

“Thank you. She takes after her father.”

Phil rolled his eyes at that and the woman frowned. What a pair they were.

But then he realized something. The woman had thought that he was a grandfather but hadn't doubted for a moment that Melinda was the mother. Was he that old?

“You must be proud of your father, to sit beside your little one the entire flight.”

“My what?”

“Your little one.”

“No, the other one.”

“Your father?”

Melinda's eyes linked with his, and he could tell she wouldn't help him out of this situation. There was a flicker in her eyes and he didn't like it at all. 

She laughed. Out loud. At the top of her lungs. He had never heard her laugh so loud in public. It was enough to wake up the sleeping girl tucked into his side, hearing her mother laugh like that. 

“Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate the compliment. You have a nice flight.”

And she rushed off to her seat in the back, and while the woman frowned at him at Melinda's odd reaction, he heard Daisy Johnson laugh at the top of her lungs, too. Coulson slid down in his seat in embarrassment. 

“Daddy,” little Heather whispered, sleep still in her voice, pulling on the sleeve of his jacket. He reached out, unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her into his lap. She settled against him, chest to chest, her thumb in her mouth, and she fell back asleep. 

He looked to the aisle seat and saw the woman was embarrassed, too. 

“Is she…?” She let the sentence hang in the air, her finger waving weakly into the direction Melinda had just gone.

“My wife. Yep.”

“I'm so sorry, I didn't know.”

He shook his head. It didn't matter. He  _ was _ old, and it was a miracle that he even had a toddler daughter to cuddle with. But he knew he was the luckiest man alive to have a family like this, a beautiful wife and two amazing daughters who tested him every single day, kept him on his toes.

“What's her name?” the woman asked, looking at Heather. The little girl stirred a little in her sleep.

“Heather Ju.” When he saw the woman's curiosity at the Chinese name, he explained. “It means Daisy. It's her sister's name, my wife and I owe her a great deal.”

“Oh? How so? If you don't mind me asking.”

“Not at all.”

And the two of them were talking for the remainder of the flight, and even little Heather had woken up to let her presence be known. He had learned the woman was called Bianca and was visiting her childhood friend who was becoming a grandmother and needed some guidance. She had a daughter herself but she was too young still to start a family.

By the end of the flight, they had even exchanged numbers, and even Heather liked Bianca.

They met Melinda and Daisy after deboarding at their destination. Both still seemed to be amused by what had happened, especially considering Bianca had just left when they had approached him, and Bianca had waved in apology to Melinda.

“Joke’s on you,” Coulson stated, strapping Heather in her stroller and giving her Momo, her little puppy stuffed animal, to cuddle with. 

“What?”

“I actually liked Bianca. I think I'm getting remarried. How fast can we arrange a divorce?”

“Ha ha,” came Melinda’s response, a smile on her lips. 

“No, I'm serious. Bianca understands me. She wouldn't tease me like you did.”

Melinda's smile grew and she went on tiptoes to kiss his lips. Daisy made retching noises, like she often did when they kissed. Heather always laughed at her big sister's antics, and now was no exception, but he was certain she didn't understand most of it.

“You love it when I tease you.”

That he did. He reached out to wrap his arms around her and deepen their kiss, but it was Heather's perfect timing that interrupted them.

“Disney!”

Daisy laughed and clapped, and Melinda smiled inside his arms.

“I'm glad at least one of us has their priorities straight.”

They saw Daisy high-five her sister, or at least attempt to (Heather was only a toddler) and Melinda kissed his cheek.

“We did well, old man,” she whispered, wrapping her arm around his waist and pulling her with him, joining their kids.

“Who are you calling old? You're a year older than me.”

She chuckled and shrugged. He watched her walk towards Daisy and Heather. Right before she met them, she turned around to look at him.

“Still younger than  _ Bianca _ .”

He knew she was teasing, but he also knew he would be dealing with her teasing about this subject for a while. 

He loved it. He would be nothing without her.

**Author's Note:**

> Also I know May is probably younger than him, (Clark is a year older than Ming-Na) but it worked well for the story. *shrug*


End file.
